Flavor Profile
Calvin Broadus— best known as Snoop Dogg— is no stranger to gin. He is perhaps best known as a rapper for his 1993 hit “Gin and Juice.” He was once the brand ambassador for Tanqueray 10. In 2018 he helped set the record for World’s Largest Gin Cocktail (using Hendrick’s Gin). It only seems fitting that in 2020 he finally released his own: Indoggo Gin.
Snoop, in partnership with celebrity brand maven Keenan Townes, reportedly spent two years crafting the recipe for Indoggo Gin.
The gin is distilled with seven botanicals, including both angelica root and seed. Similar to some pink gins, it adds strawberry flavor after distillation. However, Indoggo Gin does not add any sweetening. Despite the vibrant purple bottle, the spirit inside is perfectly clear.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Sweet, jammy nose with citrus, berry and confectionary notes. Candied orange gumdrops, lemon curd and dried strawberries.
Flavor: Slight at first with a bold mid-palate. Melon notes, especially cantaloupe, ease into a finish that adds hints of peppery juniper, with strawberry, blackberry, candied pineapple and other sweet jammy notes.
When I poured it, the first thing that came to mind were Shark Bites Fruit Snacks. The melange of sweet, candy flavors is highly volatile and leaps from the glass. The press release does indicate that it’s “light on juniper,” but on nose alone— that’s an understatement.
The palate is fruity and citrus forward. However, what I wasn’t expecting was the pleasant punch of juniper on the finish. It is mild, but clearly there.
Further, despite the hints of melon, pineapple and other “sweet” tasting notes, Indoggo Gin finishes with a pleasant, mild astringency. The choice to not sweeten the gin stands out in comparison to some pink gins with Strawberry Flavor added.
Cocktails
The fact that the bottle is the only novel color here makes this gin a good candidate behind the bar. However, the irony is that with all of these sweet, fruity, juicy notes— it’s not really an ideal mixer for a Gin and Juice.
Where it excels is simply paired with soda. Snoop’s signature cocktail The Laidback has undergone a few iterations over the years, but the simple combination of gin + pineapple juice + soda has never seemed more on trend.
Overall, Indoggo Gin
Fans of pink gin who’ve been looking for a flavored gin with that sweet flavor and none of the sugar, Indoggo Gin is for you. Further, Indoggo Gin has broad appeal for fans of other categories. Mixed with soda, it reads like a hard seltzer.
It is worth reiterating, It is light on juniper, and fans of juniper-forward gin will find the juniper a bit wanting. But overall, this gin represents a maturation of the flavor profile that won so many people over to the category during the pink gin craze. Along with others (like Lee Spirits Strawberry Ginger Gin) Indoggo Gin shows what Brockman’s knew years ago: berry + gin is a winning combination.
Awards
It’s a pink gin without having to be a pink gin. Taken neat, it’s a little lacking, but mixing, this is an excellent gin to work with.
It blows my mind at how highly rated this stuff is! Saying its terrible is probably the nicest thing I can say about it. It smells like Kool-Aid and tastes like nail polish remover mixed with cough syrup. To call this swill Gin is a slap in the face of gin all over the world. With the high ratings this has gotten, it really makes me wonder what those people think is bad. YUK
I respect your opinion on it (and of course, you can see on my site what I’ve said is bad before). It does smell fruity— by intention. I didn’t get any of the acetone flavor/aromas in my sample. I stand by my review, in that I think it represents an “upgrade” to some of the saccharine, over-sweetened pink gins out there. It’s a distilled approach to one of the most popular flavor profiles in gin during the last couple years.
Certainly, it’s not for everyone. If you’re a fan of more classic style gins— please stay away. But it’s not really aimed at your palate. It’s designed for a different gin drinkers, and when compared to those offerings— this review represents that.
Hope you keep enjoying the gins that you love!
All the best,
Cheers,
Aaron
Not a real gin drinker but can’t wait to buy my first 🍼 of Indoggo 😋
I’ve recently started expanding into gin as i’m more a brown spirits and beer guy. I work in the liquor industry we sell a ton of hendricks as well as tanqueray. little seagrams, lots of brockmans, botanist, etc. I do like brockmans. We don’t sell this one but i gotta give it a shot just because i’m a huge snoop fan!
I just tried indigo gin for the first time. I started off with a few straight sips. It is unlike other gins I have drank, based on the after notes. There’s no juniper flavor but it does have an overwhelming fruity strawberry aftertaste. I then mixed it with some Sprite. It became very easy to drink and tasted like skittles candy. This is a great gin to mix. So good that the girls will even drink it! Only 2 mixed drinks and they had their tops off.
Both my mate and I love the Indoggo gin! Personally I prefer it in a Gin & Tonic, while my mate likes it neat. Thanks for your review, Aaron, you got it right!
Usually I am not a fan of pink gins but Indoggo has done it right. The smell hits you as soon as you open the bottle and it’s not that fake artificial smell. It’s strawberries. I actually went to the refrigerator and pulled out my pack of strawberries to compare. Yup. They nailed the scent. They also nailed the taste. Instead of that artificial overly sweetened taste you get from most pink gins this one tastes like the berry. The only negative is that the juniper does get a little lost but that’s not unexpected in a pink gin. This is best with tonic and my personal preference is a lime and peel for the garnish. Even with that the strawberry really comes alive.
I love this gin! First discovered after asking for a Strawberry French 75. My bartender used this and that was my go-to drink for a while. I end up ordering for my bar at home. I would say if you like a classic gin, this isnt for you. If you’re looking for something a little fruity, this is a go! This is a really good, flavorful gin.